Bring them back

Chapter 4

"Uh, we're..."

"No. What's your name." Damn, I can't even articulate myself in stressful situations. How in the hell do I think I could handle a life-or-death-surgery?

"My name?"

"No, the name of your cat." Jenkins stopped, but too late. This was by no means a time to be sarcastic. But here she was, living the life. "Of course your name."

"John, don't anger our host, would you be so kind?", Hosea called over from the living room.

"I'm John." He paused, thinking. "John Marston. Nice to meet ya." He held out his hand, which was big and dirty.

"Hi John." Lowering the ladle Jenkins tentatively took his hand, giving it a firm shake. She would not be such a person who was disgusted by a bit of dirt. After all, they had been stumbling through the woods. "My pleasure." She took a look around but was still a bit overwhelmed by the fact that she had led completely strangers into her house. A group of grown ass men. A group of confused, ill-mannered and dirty grown ass men. Had she even been thinking for the past thirty minutes?

She let go of his hand, allowing a small smile. Since she had led them to her home, she might as well be friendly.
"Please, sit in the living room. Feel free to read."

"What about you, Miss?", the man with the kind eyes wanted to know, the one who had arrived at her firstly – right after Hosea, but that one had been falling into her way.

"I'll be preparing tea."

"Need some help?", he offered.

"With tea?", she smirked but waved the ladle towards the kitchen. "Sure, why not?" While walking ahead, Jenkins had to restrain herself from shaking her head.

Back in the kitchen, the man immediately went towards the herbs, giving them a closer look. Observing him, she decided to serve them some herbal tea and took angelica, sage, rosemary and cohosh.

"How do they grow so healthy?", the man wondered, rather to himself, still staring at the red basil, rosemary, mint and thyme.

"They get a lotta sunlight", Jenkins said while putting the dried herbs in an old fashioned tea strainer. As long as the water didn't boil there was no need to already infuse it. She went over to the man. "Wanna try some? It's all edible."

"Oh, uh... that's a lovely offer." He harrumphed, but before he could decline, Jenkins picked off two leaves of the red basil, offering one to the man.

"See? It's just plain basil. In red." Having said that, she put the leaf into her mouth, chewing it. To be honest, she rather liked to eat her herbs from time to time. Just for the intense taste.
She watched him nibbling on the small leaf.

Suddenly giggles emerged from the living room.
"Read another one, Hosea!"

"This is ridiculous." Hosea laughed, then coughed. "We're in a room full of marvellous books and I'm reading jokes to you."

"Read another one!", the mob demanded.

"A wife calls her mother: Today I fought so much with my husband – I'm coming to live with you again. The mother is enraged: No, he needs to pay for his mistakes; I'm coming to live with you."

Hysterical laughters followed that one and even Jenkins couldn't restrain a smug grin. So they had found one of her three joke-collections. Humour was always a good choice.

The man at her side chuckled, then bit his lip. "I'm sorry. We're no good company for a Lady."

"Oh, don't you worry about that. I choose to invite you." She went back to the pot, the water was finally boiling. Throwing in the tea strainer, she furrowed her brows. "What's your name, Sir?"

"It's Arthur Morgan. And yours?"

"Jenkins."

"Just Jenkins?"

"Well, it's Devon Jenkins. But my friends call me Jenkins." She shrugged her shoulders, putting the pot onto a cold hotplate, covering it with its lid. "If you want we can go to the others."

"What about the tea?" He seemed a bit confused.

"Almost done, it only needs to steep." She led the way to the door. "Now, come on. Did you really think I'd need help with tea?"

"But-"

"Mr. Morgan, thank you for your company." Jenkins almost shooed him out of the kitchen into the living room.